Grabbing a quick coffee and what passed for
a local version of a doughnut, Jason has his breakfast on the go
waiting outside the bank for it to open. There is a ritual to all
this. The Swiss take such pride in their punctuality as well as
their history as the world's money men. When the door is unlocked
Jason is the first one thru. The Bank manager immediately greets
him and takes him to an office to conduct his transactions.
From memory Jason indicates Carly's account and requests a
balance and list of recent activity. Jason frowns. There wasn't
as much as he expected but there was only one major transaction.
Half of Carly's money is gone as of business today. Accessing one
of his own accounts he replenishes her savings and thanks the
bank manager for his time. "Give me directions to..."
Jason gives the name of the firm of attorneys that is his next
stop.

"Sir, if you would like I'll draw you a map." The
manager offers helpfully.

"That won't be necessary. Just directions thanks."
Jason quickly memorizes the directions and is walking toward the
door when he asks his final question. "That last transaction...
the wire transfer. Where was the money wired to?"

"Our branch in Istanbul, it cleared this morning."

Jason nods. "Thanks." He walks out onto the street and
carefully following the directions of the bank manager heads for
the lawyer's office.

Gia whistles as she takes in the foyer of the Cassadine compound
on the greek island. "Wow."

"Yeah, overwhelm from the first step onto the island."
Nik quips. He is greeted warmly by a family retainer. "I
want to see my father."

"I'm so sorry, Master Nikolas; Did Prince Stavros know you
were coming? He left no direction, but I do expect him back
within the next few days."

"How long has he been gone?"

"Just a few days. Business off of the island." The
retainer says openly. But not as open as he could be... but it
was really not Master Nikolas' business if the master had gone
traveling with his companion.

"Prepare a suite of rooms for me and my guest." Nikolas
orders. The man bows and then leaves.

"Got the Princeling thing going on." Gia compliments.

"It's expected. Come on. Lets go in the study. There might
be some clues there."

Gia follows Nik into the study. It is striking in it's
similiarity to Stefan's on Wyndemere. It's like they are all on
the exact same plan. But this one is bigger and along with the
portraits of the unlamented dead are photographs. Gia gravitates
toward them. "Nik, check this out."

Nik stands behind her and checks out the collection of
photographs that are framed and displayed on the walls and
bookcases. There is a picture of Nik as a baby with Stavros...
recent pictures of Nik and Nik with Gia... but what draws their
interest are all the pictures of Stavros with Carly, or Michael.
"I think this confirms it."

The retainer comes into the study and blanches when he sees where
the young prince is looking. "Your rooms are ready, Master
Nikolas." He attempts to usher them out of the study.

"I wish to speak with Carly."

"You know Ms Benson?"

"We're very old friends." Gia strings her arm thru
Nik's. There is an almost imperceptible nod as the retainer adds
two and two and gets five. The Cassadine Men had always
gravitated toward colorful, available women... or rather women
available for the right price.

"Of Course." The retainer mutters. "I'm sorry; Ms
Benson is off the island as well. I expect her back in a few days."

"She's with my father?"

"Your luggage has been put away in your suite. What time did
you wish dinner, Master Nikolas."

"The normal time, thank you." Nik sighs there is going
to be no more information there. Placing his hand at the base of
Gia's spine he accompanies her upstairs to his old rooms.

"Not a real talkative sort was he?" Gia mutters.

"Talkative servants in the Cassadine household end up with
their tongues removed."

Gia stops in her tracks. "You're kidding right?"

"Only have to do it once.... I think it was Helena back when
she was a new bride. The servants have been remarkably restrained
ever since."

"That's gross."

Carly kicks at the back of the boat. She tilts her head back to
enjoy the breeze off the water. Michael is in his lifejacket and
sunblock. He has his hands on the wheel. Stavros sits behind him
with his hands on the wheel as well. "Once you become
proficient with the sailboats back on the island I won't have to
be here with you."

"But I like it like this." Michael replies. "This
is the way me and Uncle Sonny drove the boat down in Martinique.
His boat goes really fast."

Carly comes up and resting a hand on Stavros leans over to give a
smooch to Michael. "But then how would you get to see all of
this?" Carly refers to the shore and boats. "You had
lots of time in Martinique. We'll only be here for..."

"The afternoon." Stavros completes the thought. "I
will arrange a flight back for this evening."

"I'm goin to be awake right?" Michael protests. "I
dinna get to see us arrive!"

"If you wish." Stavros agrees. "But as this is our
last afternoon here there are somethings we should do."

"Istanbul is fun." Michael looks up over his shoulder
to Stavros. Carly snaps a picture of the two of them together.

Nikolas starts searching the compound room by room. The servants
are torn not knowing if they would get in more trouble for not
trying to stop him or for telling him to stop. Nik makes use of
their indecision. Gia stays close watching his back and the
watching eyes of the servants.

"This is it." Nik goes into a room and pulls Gia in and
shuts it after her.

"Separate bedrooms aren't uncommon. Especially with as many
secret passages as there are here." Nik starts opening doors
to the adjoining rooms-- a bath, a dressing room, and a room that
is customized for a small child.

"Why in the hell would Carly go with Stavros? It isn't like
she really liked him. She warned me off of him!"

"That is the question." Nik turns to Gia. "You say
you know Carly better than I. Why would she go off with my
father?"

Gia bites her lip and impatiently ties her hair back in a knot to
get it out of her face. She shakes her head. "Deception, I
guess." Gia goes into Carly's closet. It is loaded with
designer originals and vacation wear. Gia whistles. She keeps up
on the fashions it is part of her job. "There is a fortune
in clothes in here."

Nik looks over but without any real surprise. "That's just a
phone call. It doesn't mean anything. Cassadines would do that
for any guest who was here for an extended stay. Stefan bought
Bobbie a wardrobe when they got engaged. It's a convenience."

"Cool. Guess that means I'm getting some new duds out of
this deal."

"If we get out alive that will be something. If we get out
with Carly and Michael..."

Gia shudders. "Right. Why don't you take me down to the
famous cove."

Jason has been staking out the attorney's office for the rest of
the morning. He'd been able to discover who the lead attorney
handling the Cassadine Estate was and followed him to his
girlfriend's house where the guy was having lunch. Jason
breaks into the guy's car and hides in the backseat. They were
going to have a little chat... it could go a couple of different
ways but he is going to know where Carly is before the end of
business today. And then the lawyer wouldn't be able to warn
Cassadine that he was on his way.

Carly practically crawls under Michael's bed to make sure there
is nothing left behind. Snagging a sneaker and a stuffed toy she
grabs then both and puts them into Michael's spare duffle. They
were leaving with twice as much luggage as when the came. And
that didn't count most of the stuff Stavros had bought at the
various shops and stalls that was being flown back to the island
on a separate plane due to weight considerations.

"Caroline..." Stavros ducks his head in. "Whatever
is missed will be forwarded with the shipment.

"Michael still likes to sleep with this giraffe and he'd
throw a fit if he has to wait for it." Carly explains. She
takes a last look around the room. "Michael is right;
Istanbul was fun."

"We can come back." Stavros tempts. "He didn't
work his way thru half of his book."

"You bought enough stuff to furnish another house! Well a
house for a normal person. We are definitely bad influences for
each other." Carly hands the bags over to Stavros. "Who
were you calling?"

"On that holding appropriated by Jax."

"I hope you used a shell corporation for that one. Do you
really want to be battling both Stefan and Jax at the same time?"

"Stefan is no threat. He will consult his attorneys and find
it a loosing cause. He'll try to play some little game to cheat
me but he's never been able to beat me." cept once.
"While Jax was a majority stockholder in the asset, he
wasn't the only one. There were others... I now hold their
proxies until the actual transactions take place."

Carly whistles "That was fast."

"We should take Michael to the next stockholders meeting so
he can see the results of his suggestion. Italy in the summer."

"Michael won't even remember he made the suggestion. To him
it was all a game and tomorrow, hell tonight, we'll be playing
another game a different game."

"You don't want him to know."

"If he realizes fine, if he remembers fine. But it's an
awful lot to put on a little guy. Especially if it gets ugly."

"And you think it will."

"Jax likes to play like he's better than anyone else. He's
real comfortable on that moral high ground. It doesn't mean he
doesn't do extortion or blackmail or blow shit up. Hell he was
behind an attempted sniper going after Jason at the big dock
opening back in Port Charles. And then earlier... funding Jason's
enemies when Jason was taking control of the territory. Letting
them do his dirty work. And when Jason and Sonny's enemies come
at you... Jason got lucky that night no thanks to Jax."

"For someone who says that she was never allowed around business
you seem to know quite a bit about business." Stavros
counters.

"What a waste. He had a mind like yours at his disposal and
he'd rather have a sweater?"

"It was just an example. I don't actually knit."

"I didn't think you did."

Jason wipes his hands on the shirt of the lawyer. The guy had
held up pretty well... for a lawyer. He takes the guy's cell
phone and hits a preset number.

Stavros Cassadine's line. Hello?

Jason hangs up the phone. Carly's answering the phone? Leaning
over the lawyer he takes the man's hand and grinds together the
broken bones. There is nobody else there to hear his screams.
"Where are they?"

"If you don't have anything to tell me then there is no
reason for you to be sticking around now is there..." Jason
threatens. "One of the great things about Switzerland.
Plenty of lakes."

"He never leaves the island for long. Short trips only. He
doesn't like to leave his family." The man says in a rush.

"Tell me where the island is." Jason makes a note of
the gasping directions. Keeping the cell phone and the guy's keys
he starts walking toward the car.

"You're not just going to leave me out here are you?"

"Why not? Your legs aren't broken. If you don't get lost
you'll reach the next town... eventually." Jason starts the
car with a smooth motion and pulls out onto the road.

"Prince Stavros..."

"What is it?" Stavros answers inpatiently weary of
traveling and wanting to put Michael down for the night. Michael
managed to stay awake for their departure but then had fallen
asleep on the plane. Michael is draped over him with his head
resting on Stavros shoulder.

"Master Nikolas is here. He and his companion arrived this
afternoon. He is in the dining room."

Stavros takes a step toward the dining room. This is a moment
he'd been waiting for, for months. Carly grabs him by the back of
his jacket. "Whoa slow down."

"My son..."

"I know. And you're carrying mine." The retainer takes
the bags from the tutor and Carly transfers Michael from Stavros
to the tutor. "Nobody comes near Michael but me." Carly
orders. "If Nik is here then.... That phone call. It was too
freaky. A hang up call when all of a sudden this is going on."

"Yes." Stavros sighs. "You should stay with
Michael. Just in case there are other intruders on the island. Go
with them."

"Un uh." Carly shakes her head. "They are in the
dining room?" She looks over at the retainer who nods.
"Good I'm hungry. Lets eat."

"Carly, what are you thinking?" Stavros asks.

"Nothin'. Well nothing other than I'm hungry. I hate
airplane food-- even your airplane food. Describe the companion."
Carly orders the retainer. His short description has both Carly
and Stavros nodding.

"Gia." Stavros mutters.

"Good." Carly says flatly. "He wouldn't have
brought her if he brought the big guns. They are probably alone.
It's a fishing trip."

"There is no reason for you to be there, Caroline. And every
reason for you to not. If they don't know you are here..."
Stavros stops talking when he sees that his servant is rocking
from one foot to the other nervously. "They know Caroline is
here."

"Yes, my Prince, they saw the photographs in the study."

Carly quirks a brow in Stavros direction. With a sigh he holds
out his hand, the back up. Carly rests her hand on top of his.
"Show time."

Stavros and Carly walk into the dining room like they had been
expecting company. Stavros seats her at the other end of the
table next to him. At the other end of the table suitable to seat
12, Nik sits at the head of the table with Gia at his right.
"I apologize for my tardiness, my son. If I had known you
were waiting we would have cut our business short." Stavros
can feel the energy leaping off of Carly and her eyes sparkle
ready for a fight. He gives her hand a warning squeeze. "I'm
glad you didn't wait."

The servants rush to put out the place settings. Carly leans over
to give a direction to the maid in a quiet voice. Gia looks at
Stavros warily. Nik stiffens in his seat. "Father." And
then angles his head to make eye contact with Carly. "Carly.
Your mother would send her regards-- if she knew where you were."

"I'll have to give her a call." Carly drawls. The maid
comes back with a pot of herbal tea and pours Carly a cup. "You're
both looking good. Kinda a long way to come though to just drop
by." Carly picks up the bone china cup and takes a small sip.

"Caroline, my son is welcome any time in his home."

Carly nods in agreement. "As it should be. Shame the reverse
isn't true. Or maybe this is a new leaf. Honey, I guess this
means you can drop by Nik's place when the spirit moves ya."

"Carly, what the hell are you doing here... with him."
Gia blurts out. Nik takes her hand hand warningly under the table.

Carly looks from Stavros to the duo at the other end of the table.
"Having dessert." Carly turns back to Stavros. "Y'all
going to do the whole manly thing with cigars and brandys in the
study after dinner?" She fakes a yawn. "'Cause I'm
wiped. You wore me out."

Stavros shakes his head. Carly is putting on an oscar worthy
performance. "Nikolas?"

Nik nods. He would find out what the hell is going on.

"There is the island." The pilot points it out with a
nod of his head both of his hands occupied. "No way of
landing without announcing your presence."